Treating workers for injuries costing little or nothing to prevent hit the Victorian community to the tune of $956 million in the last year.

“Injuries to the muscles, tissue, nerves and bones account for more than half of all workplace injuries in Victoria, but they are often overshadowed because there’s no ‘blood on the floor’ “, WorkSafe’s Strategic Programs Director Trevor Martin said.

“Lifting a box, climbing a step-ladder or navigating a slippery surface at work might not set off alarm bells for most of us – but tasks like these cause over 17,000 Victorian workers painful muscle and bone injuries every year.

“They’re the most preventable, because in many cases, simply cleaning up a spill on the floor or providing some lifting equipment eliminates the risk.”

WorkSafe has launched a major advertising campaign to challenge the perception that musculoskeletal injuries are only suffered by people in jobs that involve heavy lifting.

“In reality, workers in child care, retail, hospitality and other sectors not normally associated with heavy lifting suffer debilitating injuries every day,” Mr Martin said.

“Some people will see these advertisements and flinch, but we think this is the best way to make workers and employers recognise that these injuries must be viewed seriously and that people in almost any occupation are at risk.

“Our message to Victorian employers is that regardless of their industry or business, employers need to be talking to their workforce, identifying risks, and fixing them.”

Mr Martin said there were a number of reasons why musculoskeletal injuries slipped under the radar.

“Firstly, they’re not always a hazard which is immediately obvious.

“Secondly, it’s a cultural issue. Some workplaces mistakenly believe that as workers will always be at risk from musculoskeletal injury, there’s no point in trying to control the risks.”

Mr Martin said while prevention of injuries had to be a priority, an important part of WorkSafe’s role was to encourage and educate employers and workers about return to work opportunities.

“This might be a staged approach, possibly on a part-time basis or in a different role, but international research shows that supporting workers to make a safe and sustainable return-to-work helps people get better faster.

“Employers who keep in touch with their workers and workers who are in touch with their workmates maintain a sense of value which leads to positive results for everyone,” he said.

Musculoskeletal injuries are injuries to the muscle and bone like strains, sprains, fractures and breaks. They are most commonly caused by tasks like lifting, pushing or pulling - or accidents like slips and trips.

WorkSafe’s advertising campaign begins on August 30. For more information on preventing risks from musculoskeletal injuries, go to www.worksafe.gov.au/backonsafety

Costs of muscle and bone injuries for the year ending June 2010

This information includes payments to cover medical, wage and other expenses for workers with manual handling and slips, trips and falls injuries in the year ending June 2010. Figures are grouped by workplaces registered in each local government area. They cover payments made in the year ending June 2010 for injuries which may have been received in that year or previous years. These are for injuries where the person was off work 10 days or more and/or had costs exceeding $580.

worksafe.vic.gov.au/backonsafety